Local state representatives are encouraging area college graduates to apply for the Ohio Legislative Service Commission's 13-month Legislative and Telecommunications Program.

The commission will hire more than 20 fellows to work with members of the state legislature in 2014. Duties include assisting with constituent services, doing legislative research, attending meetings and performing administrative duties. Some fellows also assist in televising House and Senate proceedings and preparing educational videos.

Two lawmakers who represent part of Summit County are working together to try to help cities pay for the demolition of abandoned and vacant homes.

U.S. Rep. Marcia Fudge, D-Cleveland, and Rep. Dave Joyce, R-Russell Township, introduced legislation Wednesday that would provide $4 billion for the local issuance of bonds to cover the cost of the demolition of run-down houses. U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur, D-Toledo, is also a sponsor.

U.S. Sen. Rob Portman will be featured in a Millionaire's Countdown to the Oscars question in an episode airing at 3 p.m. today.

The category will be "action movie tips" and the question is: After a kayaking accident in Chile, Ohio Senator Rob Portman purposely slammed his dislocated shoulder into a rock, a trick he said he learned from what film? The possible answers are: "The Rock," "Lethal Weapon 2," "Die Hard 2" and "Con Air."

State Rep. Anthony DeVitis, R-Akron, recently presented commendations to two local nurses credited with saving a runner's life during the Akron Marathon.

Heather Pariso and Lynne Trenkelbach, who were running in the Sept. 29 marathon, came to the aid of Tony Lindeman when he collapsed. Pariso pumped his heart, while Trenkelbach performed mouth-to-mouth until an ambulance arrived. Paramedics used a defibrilator to restart Lindeman's heart.

Cuyahoga County Executive Ed FitzGerald, who is on the short list to run for governor next year, will be the featured guest at the Summit County Democratic Party's 37th-annual Valentine's Day Fundraiser.

The event will be from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Friday at Tangier restaurant, 532 W. Market St. It will include hors d'oeuvres, drinks and door prizes.

Ohio fell squarely in the middle of a new Pew study this week that rated states on how well they performed in the 2008 and 2010 elections.

The study, which looked at such factors as wait times, registration problems and use of online tools, identified the best states as Colorado, Delaware, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, Washington and Wisconsin. The worst performers were Alabama, California, Mississippi, New York, Oklahoma, South Carolina and West Virginia.